Low Outgassing Accelerometers and Cables
Featured Product from PCB Piezotronics, Inc.
Low Outgassing Accelerometers and Cables for Thermal Vacuum and Vibration Test Environments
Exposure to the high vacuum level of a space environment induces material outgassing in ordinary accelerometers and cables. Any substance subjected to a vacuum has the potential to release trapped gasses. Contaminants from outgassing can condense onto nearby surfaces, such as photo-optic devices, and obscure them, rendering them useless during their intended application.
During random vibration, swept sine or shock testing prior to flight, spacecraft payloads are often fitted with accelerometers in hard to reach mounting locations. As the space structure is built up around them, it can become impossible to remove the accelerometers. Sensors installed for ground vibration testing may therefore remain on the structure—even if they are no longer needed for testing purposes.
